Bed-slat fastener



(No Model.)

W. W. WHITAKER. BED SLAT FASTENER. No. 558,136. Patented Apr. 14, 189 6.

AF' J dO'IO-LITHULWASNINGTUN. 0.8V

lllllHlllIlllillllllllllllllllllll l'mllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM \V. IVIIITAKER, OF GLOVERSVILLE, NEWV YORK.

BED-SLAT FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,186, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed July 12 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. \VHIT- AKER, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Gloversville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-Slat Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The principal object of my invention is to support the side rails of a bedstead from spreading apart in such manner as to let the transverse slats fall through at one or both ends thereof; and to this end the invention consists of certain novel features, which will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a bedstead having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line a: o; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aperspective View, detached and enlarged, of end of a tie or girt containing my invention. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in perspective of a section of a bed-rail. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing a modification of Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and are details.

Like reference-letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A is the slat part or body of the girt or tie, and is preferably made of wood, but may consist of a flat metal strip.

a a indicate a series of bolt-holes in girt A near its ends. As I prefer to combine with this body of the girt a series of duplicate devices, it is only necessary to describe them in the singular.

B b b is a thin metal plate, preferably of malleable iron or of thin steel bent into about the shape indicated-that is to say, the part B is flat to engage with the under side of the part A, the sections 19 b being bent into substantially an inverted- U shape, having a vertical throat 19 opening downward. The part B is slotted, as at 6 to permit endwise adjustment relative to the wooden slat part or body A, to which it is clamped firmly by one or more bolts 0.

D is a fiat metal plate, slotted, as at c, and disposed underneath the bolt or bolts, as the case may be, so that it is adjustable endwise.

The height of the U shape is such that by preference it is just about in line with the slid- Serial No. 555,745. (No model.)

ing plate 0, so that the outer end of the latter may be locked in close contact with the up per edge of the U and support it firmly, particularly when those parts are locked out at some distance from the end of the slat part or body part A, and so that while the part B is attached to the under side of the slat part A the upper face of said slat part is in plane with the upper faces of the ordinary bed-slats when such are used.

'Referring particularly to Figs. 4:, 8, and 9, O is-the side rail of the bedstead, having attached to its inner face and at its lower side a notched slat-support in the form of a rib or strip E e e, in the notches e of which the ordinary cross-slats are supported.

F is a clasp-plate, preferably of thin metal, of which the ends ff are offset a little from the central part F and are clamped between the rib E and the side rail B, so that the part or section F will receive the U shape of the plate 5 b, the lip or hook part I) passing down behind the section F, whereby the two side rails are firmly supported against spreading apart.

In order to protect the adjacent portion of the side rail from wear or abrasion, I prefer to employ a supplemental metal plate G, which may be of a length about equal to the dis tance between the ends f f or of such length as to be secured in place by overlapping said ends.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 9, the plate G consists of a tongue-like piece which is integral with the clasp-plate F, from the lower edge of which it is supported, being bent outward therefrom and then upward in about the vertical plane of the ends ff, between which it is disposed. In Fig. 10 the plate G is also supported from the clasp-plate with which it is integral, but is upon the opposite side relative to the angular ends ff, because they are to be applied to the inner faces of the notched slats instead of the outer sides, as in the other construction; but in both cases the part between the ends is U-shapcd with an upwardly-open throat, both walls of which cooperate with hook part b to prevent the bedrails from spreadingthat is to say, the upper edge of plate F receives the direct inward pull of the hook, while the lower part of plate G prevents the lower end of the hook from springing outward and also protects the bedrail from being abraded or otherwise injured by the hook end. It is apparent that by making the hook-like part in the form of an inverted U, with one leg attached to ahorizontal plate secured to the under side of the slat part of the tie, I am enabled to combine therewith a reinforcing-plate on top of said slat, a feature of construction and combination which is very desirable, the interlocking parts being of thin metal, and it is also evident that in order to use such plates upon the top and bottom of the slat part A the inverted-U- shaped hook must be disposed at the end of said slat with one leg projecting upward from the lower plate. These metal parts may be screwed to the side rails, as indicated at g, or they may be confined by the same screws or other means employed for attaching the notched rib E to the side rail. In either case very thin sheet metal may be safely used for the clasp-plate, from the fact that its angular ends fit closely the notches in the rib which support it against the pull of the U shape.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a modification which is more particularly adapted to be applied to already-completed bedsteads, and which, like the construction heretofore described, has the locking-plate or clasp-plate and also the supplemental guard-plate disposed in the slatnotches of the rib E and in the horizontal plane of said notches. Thus these plates can be readily attached to an ordinary bed-rail without cutting or otherwise changing the shape of any of the parts. In this modification the plate G is on the opposite side of the clasp-plate and lies against the bed-rail; but the plate F f f is turned the other side outward and secured in place by screws g or otherwise, so that the section F occupies a position about the same distance from the face of the side rail as does the corresponding part in the other figures, so that it will engage readily with the U shape or hook.

In Fig. 2 it is shown that both the U shape and clasp-plate are disposed within the slatreceiving notches of the rib E, whereby said rib supports those parts and the ends of the slat part A against downward pressure and also against sidewise movement.

At the right-hand end of Fig. 2 I have shown the plates projecting some distance beyond the end of the body or slat part A of the girt, with the side rail of the woven-wire mattress resting upon the outer end of the upper plate D, which latter is in this instance moved out far enough so that its end rests upon the upper edge of the U shape to assist it in supporting the weight of the mattress-frame. I11 all cases, however, the clasp-plates are disposed in the slat-notches in vertical planes about midway between the vertical planes of the outer andinner faces of the notched slats, with their lower edges above the bottoms of the notches, the supplemental plates being in substantially the same horizontal planes with the clasp-plates by which they are supported.

Near the center of'Fig. 2 I have represented one of the well-known types of spring-bed, which has a series of longitudinal slats with a series of springs mounted thereon, the slats resting directly upon the transverse girt in such manner that part of the weight of the spring-bed, the bedding, and the occupant of the bed is supported by the central part of the girt.

lVhat- I claim is- 1. The combination with the rails of a bed, of notched slat-supports, U shaped claspplates disposed in the notches, the parts F, G, of each plate being made of a single integral sheet of metal; and a girt having a slat portion and a clasp comprising a thin metal plate attached to the under side of the slat, the outer end of the-plate projecting upward and then downward thereby forming an inverted- U shape with a throat opening downwardand adapted to hook over the plate F, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination slat part A of the tie, of thin metal plate attached to the under side of the slat, the outer end of the plate projecting upward and then downward, thereby form ing an inverted- U shape opening downward, and a reinforcing-plate attached to the upper side of the slat, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bed-slat fastener, the combination with the transverse girt, of the metal plate provided with the U shape, and the upper plate engaging with the U shape, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bed-slat fastener, the combination with the transverse girt, of the adjustable metal plate provided with the U shape, and the adjustable upper plate engaging with the U shape, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM \V. XVITITAKER.

\Vitnesses WILLIAM S. CASSEDY, MAY PAULEY. 

